Two years after shooting, UNLV community gathers to remember ‘unthinkable tragedy’
Summary
On Dec. 6, 2025, about two years after the Dec. 6, 2023 shooting at UNLV, roughly 200 students, faculty, family members and community supporters gathered at the Donald C. Moyer Amphitheatre for a remembrance ceremony.
The 2023 attack killed professors Naoko Takemaru (69), Jerry Cha-Jan Chang (64) and Patricia Navarro Velez (39); assistant professor Daraboth “Bot” Rith (37) was shot and critically injured but survived. The gunman, Anthony Polito, died in a shootout with police. The memorial included music, a Nuwu blessing, the unveiling of an art piece made from messages written after the shooting, and renderings for a planned UNLV Healing Garden near Beam Hall.
UNLV representatives highlighted memorial scholarships named for the slain professors, ongoing mental-health support for the campus, murals and other healing initiatives. Interim President Chris Heavey called the event and its aftermath a “gradual journey” toward normality while stressing the lasting impact of the tragedy.
Key Points
- The remembrance ceremony on Dec. 6, 2025 marked the two-year anniversary of the UNLV campus shooting.
- Three professors — Naoko Takemaru, Jerry Cha-Jan Chang and Patricia Navarro Velez — were killed in the Dec. 6, 2023 attack; assistant professor Daraboth “Bot” Rith was critically wounded and attended the ceremony.
- UNLV has established annual memorial scholarships in the names of the three slain professors; past recipients spoke at the event.
- The university unveiled renderings for a Healing Garden near Beam Hall, intended as a permanent, tranquil place for reflection bearing the victims’ names.
- The ceremony featured community music performances, a Nuwu blessing, an art piece created from early campus notes and participation from family members and students.
- Police reports indicate the shooter was likely on a suicide mission and had previously sought employment at UNLV; he died in the shootout with police.
- UNLV leaders emphasised ongoing mental-health support and campus initiatives (murals, scholarships, the garden) as part of healing and remembrance.
Why should I read this?
Look — this isn’t just another anniversary story. If you care about campus safety, community healing or how institutions respond after violence, this one shows what remembrance and recovery look like in practice. It’s short, it’s heartfelt, and it explains the concrete steps UNLV is taking (scholarships, a healing garden, support services) so you don’t have to dig through lots of follow-ups yourself.
Author’s take
Punchy and to the point: this piece matters locally and emotionally. It documents how a university is balancing grief with action — memorials, scholarships and a planned garden — and why those gestures matter to survivors, colleagues and students who want to move forward while remembering those lost.
